Hart & Fuggle @ The Secret Larder

  

My lovely alice and I spent an evening at the helm of the Secret Larder, a very sophisticated supper club in Holloway. James Ramsden, who we owe for many a helped hand, was on call tending to split sauces and pouring glasses of white in support of his guest chefs.

The menu was penned in chalk and spring flowers suggested our English garden theme. 

Twenty mouths fed and no trout bones stuck on the way down. I that alone is cause for celebration.

  

Alice, Bompas & Parr

My weekend was spend filling iodine test tubes and baking pies for the latest Bompas & Parr extravaganza. The grounds of Elsing Hall in Norfolk were transformed into a enchanting performance of Alice in Wonderland complete with a Victorian feast, real life Alice's & of course, the Queen of Hearts.

Brithday breakfast on the beach

Birthday. Boston Baked Beans. Beach. Beautiful.

TREACLE BAKED BEANS

Serves 8

500g dried white beans or cannellini beans, rinsed

1 large onion, cut in half

2 bay leaves

125ml maple syrup

125g brown sugar

1 tbsp black treacle

½ tbsp chilli flakes

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp Worceshire sauce

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

200g bacon lardons

1/ First you prepare your beans. Put the beans, onion, bay leaves and peppercorns in a large 2 litre pot and cover with 1.5 litres of cold water. Simmer uncovered for about 1 hour or until the beans are tender. Drain the beans but keep 600ml of the cooking water.  Remove and discard the halved onion and bay leaves.

2/ In the now empty pot add the maple syrup, brown sugar, ketchup, chilli flakes, salt and worcestshire sauce and Dijon mustard and 600ml of the reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook, over a medium heat for a few minutes until the sauce has come together.

3/ Add the beans to the sauce along with the bacon lardons.  Leave to cook on a low heat over night or for 6-8 hours until the beans are melt in your mouth like butter and the sauce has become deliciously syrupy.  Stir as often as you feel like. 

 

Afternoon tea @ Victoria Falls

Think 180m of breathtaking waterfall. Consider a mile of sheet water plunging into the Zambezi river. Now imagine eating cake whist watching the water flow - surely this must be the best afternoon tea in the world?  

It's been a good week. 

 

Miss Haversham's Wedding Cake

 

I made this cake and shot it this weekend with my friend, Simon Brown. Miss Haversham's wedding cake was the inspiration. I love the dusty roses.

Peachy Sunday morning @ Dishoom

Despite not running the marathon or, in fact, even walking the twelve minutes of sunshine to Covent Garden today I felt I deserved a treat. This particular treat was courtesy of Dishoom; a chic Bombay cafe nestled in the heart of London's theatre district.

It's the April response to the inevitable, 'where's good to eat at the moment?'. Opening last year to restaurant virgins Dishoom has quashed sceptics by being consistently swarmed by enthusiastic bloggers and city types. It is not just an evening destination however, in fact they pride themselves on having the perfect morning chai, lunchtime Thums Up and evening Sauvingnon Blanc. 

With Spring light flooding on the oh so stylish decor, I sunk into an available Leather sofa and devoured not just roomaly, kulfi, chai but a healthy chunk of Observer Food Monthly. What a peachy morning. 

Fancy a snog?

The Spring sunshine this week has awakened my ice cream tooth. Gone are the chocolate, pie and toast cravings but back with vengeance is the childish need to finish my day with a nice cold ice. With May bang in the middle of my bikini diet, it is with relief that I introduce SNOG; a brand new way of approaching cornetto cravings.  

A visit to New York last year made me aware of the difference between ice cream and frozen yoghurt. War has broken out over there, not just between Obama and Gaddafi, but brands of frozen yoghurt.  Of course each new launch is a significant improvement on the last leaving New Yorkers spoilt for choice but as far as I can see this particular war has yet to cross the Atlantic.   

My first taste of the new coffee shop concept was a sample that was handed out on the street. A little biodegradable container held a miniature pot of frozen snow - think consistency of Mr Wippy but taste of sumptuous yoghurt enhanced only with natural Agave nectar.  The first UK shop of its kind is called SNOG; it sells frozen yoghurt by the bucketful alongside a counter which holds an array of Superfood toppings. And the best thing? Each big 210g bucket contains only 110 calories so you shouldn’t be shy about going in for seconds.

The flagship South Kensington outlet has been decorated to make the punter feel like its Summer all year round. The floor is grass (ish), the walls have a vinyl flowerbed and the ceiling, with the use of moving clouds, mimics a hot English day that we don’t often see. The shop is open until eleven so should it take your fancy, there is an opportunity to dive in after a drink or two and you might even bump into the likes of Kate Moss.

I reckon this will spread across the city quicker than Hummingbird cupcakes, it’s absolutely delicious and addictive; I’d rather have a SNOG than a bird food any day.